


Thursday's Child

by NeverAndAlways



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Childbirth, Gen, Implied Castiel/Dean Winchester, M/M, Mpreg, Not Beta Read, Pregnant Castiel, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-03-08 14:57:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3213311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/NeverAndAlways
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a pregnant Castiel turns up on their doorstep asking for asylum, what can the Winchesters do but help him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Eight hours. That's how long Castiel's been in labor. The contractions started sometime around midnight, progressed for a few hours, then got to ten minutes and stopped there. He's tried just about everything to get it going again, short of running around the block. Nothing helps. The pressure builds and builds, but there's no progress. All he can do is walk around the Bunker and wait.

"...391, 392, 393, 394..." counting floor tiles. That's how bored he is. He walks slowly; the shuffling of his feet on the cool stone tiles seems to echo in the huge room, and rain hisses on the roof far above him. He thinks back to when he first came here almost two months ago. It was on a night very much like this one, but not nearly as quiet. He'd been on the run from a pack of demons who had caught his scent and in his panic, his first thoughts had been of Dean and Sam. And so, at 2:00 am, Sam had opened the Bunker door to find a frightened, soggy and very pregnant Castiel. Nobody got much sleep that night.

"So lemme get this straight: you're knocked up..."

"Yes."

"...And you've got a pack of demons on your tail."

"Yes."

"And you're here...why, exactly?"

Dean was pacing. Castiel watched from his seat by the fireplace, clad in sweatpants and one of Sam's old STANFORD hoodies. His own clothes hummed in the dryer upstairs. "I came to you," he explained patiently, "to request asylum. For myself and my baby."

"Why? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's good to see you, but why us? Wouldn't you be safer Upstairs, or with the kid's father?"

"I would prefer to be here. The father...does not know of the baby's existence." his eyes flicked briefly to Sam, then back to Dean. "This bunker is extremely well-protected; the demons would be unable to reach me. Also, the two of you would be here."

Dean cast a glance at his brother. Sam looked sleepily back.

"You're, uh...pretty far along, though." said Sam to Cas. "No offense, but why didn't you come to us earlier?"

"I didn't want to burden you with trying to watch over me. And I have kept myself well-hidden for much of my pregnancy."

"Until now."

"Until now." Cas echoed. He scooted closer to the fire and smiled to himself. For a moment he sat, eyes closed, and savored the warmth against his back. Then he grew serious again. "I have just under two months until I am due to give birth. If you allow me to remain here until then, I will leave as soon as-"

"Of course you can stay, Cas, "Dean interrupted, "you're still part of the team. Hell, you act like we're gonna charge you rent or something."

Cas breathed his thanks. "I am honored, Dean."

"Good to have you back."

After that, the conversation had dwindled into silence. Cas had eventually taken Dean's bed (Dean slept on the couch that night) until they could figure out something more permanent. The three of them had settled back into their old routine, and time had passed quickly.

Until now.

Cas is so deep in thought that he doesn't even notice the contraction until it's right on top of him. Ten minutes on the dot. He stops and shifts his feet apart in a well-practiced move, closes his eyes to focus, then begins to rock. Up on the balls of his feet, back on his heels and up again. A low groan rises from his chest; he lets it come. He's too tired to fight it. Footsteps come toward him, loud on the stone floor, and suddenly there's a pair of strong hands on his shoulders. He opens his eyes to see Dean, who gently pulls him in and moves his hands to Cas' waist. Cas responds by clasping his hands at the back of the Hunter's neck, and together they sway gently until the contraction passes. It's a routine they settled into soon after the contractions started- Sam and Dean are both nearby, giving Cas his space but ready to step in if necessary.

Cas just stands there once the contraction has ended. He leans into Dean, bending his knees and hanging his weight on his clasped hands, and the Hunter seems to get the message. He widens his stance so Cas can lean in further until he's supporting the angel's full weight. It helps a little; some of the pressure in Cas' hips has eased. He sighs gratefully.

"Any change?" Dean asks him.

"No." Cas mutters. He's so tired. "What time is it?"

"'Bout 8:00 a.m." Another sigh. "You've been out here for five hours, Cas. You're worn out. Go get some sleep."

Cas just shakes his head. He can't sit still. Each time he tries, he has barely enough time to doze off before another contraction wakes him.

"Anything I can do?" Dean's green eyes are dark with concern. Cas answers by tightening his grip so that he's almost hugging Dean around his belly.

"Stay."

The Hunter smiles. "You got it."

oOo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story so far, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear what you think of it!


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Cas?"

"Yes, Dean."

"I gotta ask...how'd you get pregnant?"

Castiel stops in mid-sway. Weary blue eyes stare up at Dean.

"Dean, the process of human conception-"

"I know, I know, the birds and the bees, yada yada. But...Cas, you're a guy."

The look Cas gives him then is unmistakably a bitchface. Specifically, bitchface 115: "no shit, Sherlock." Someone's been hanging out with Sammy. Dean charges on. "I mean, guys don't get pregnant. I dunno how it is with angels, but human guys don't usually have babies. Like, ever."

Cas sighs and goes back to swaying. "My **vessel** is male. I am not."

"...Are you telling me you're a woman...?"

"No."

"But you said-"

"Angels are genderless." Cas' attention seems to be wandering. He widens his stance. It's been two hours, almost three, and the contractions are coming a little under five minutes apart now. When he speaks again, his words are punctuated with slow, even breaths. "As I said...this vessel is male. But...an angel's grace has some shapeshifting abilities...it - it can..." he trails off with a grimace. "Ngh..."

"Shh, I gotcha. Don't fight it." Dean holds Cas until the tension leaves him and his breathing slows.

"I'm so tired, Dean." Cas groans.

"I know. You're doin' great, dude. You're halfway there already, just a little longer."

The angel lets out a long, whooshing breath, and says nothing more for quite a while.

oOo

It's noon...that's twelve hours that Cas has been in labor. Sam has been staying out of the way for most of that time. He stayed up with Cas for a few hours at the beginning to let Dean get some sleep, but he left them to it after that. Now he's just doing supply runs: ice chips for Cas, water bottles and the occasional granola bar for Dean. And lots of towels. Let's just say it's a good thing Cas wasn't in the library when his water broke.

"Knock, knock." Sam shoulders open the tall oak door and pads across the tiles to Dean and Cas. They're just as he left them- Dean is standing with his feet wide apart and supporting Cas with a hand under each arm. Cas' head is pillowed on his chest. Sam deposits a bowl of water, string and a pair of scissors, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a damp washcloth, and two granola bars on the folding table. "How's he doing?" he asks his brother. Dean peers around Cas' bowed head.

"It's gettin' pretty rough, but he's doin' okay." he says quietly. His gaze falls on the granola bars. He bends his head down and says a few words to Cas. The pair scoot over to the table like one ungainly being, and Dean transfers Cas to a chair before making a beeline for the food. The first bar he unwraps and devours; the second he opens and offers to Cas. "C'mon man, you gotta eat somethin'." he says, but it's obvious that Cas wouldn't even be able to hold still for that long. The angel is in a world of his own, rolling his hips, shifting from foot to foot, and swaying against the back of the chair. His belly is low and pendulous and the contractions- which are coming one after another now -tighten it visibly. Dean puts the granola bar down.

"I feel sorry for Jimmy, having to go through this with him..." Sam remarks in an undertone.

"Yeah. Cas said he'll make sure Jimmy doesn't remember anything, but...yeah." They watch as the angel sinks into a low squat behind the chair, then comes back up again. "At least there's some time between them now, though. For a while he couldn't get a breath in edgeways."

"Is he, uh..." Sam gestures awkwardly.

"Yeah. I mean, I think so. Checked him about an hour ago; he hasn't let me near 'im since...Cas?" the angel is suddenly quiet and still. His head is bowed, eyes closed, and his feet are braced against the chair legs. His face is flushed; as Dean approaches, he lets out a loud breath. "Hey. C'mon, look at me." Dean presses the damp washcloth to Cas' forehead, and his eyes slowly open.

"Cas, are- are you pushing?"

"Mm."

"Is that a yes?"

He gets his answer when Cas bows his head again and his whole body tenses up. "Son of a bitch. Okay, um-" Dean grabs a handful of towels from the table and quickly spreads them between the angel's feet. He's vaguely aware that Sam has left the room. When he glances up- and really wishes he hadn't -there's already a patch of dark, wet hair straining outward. Cas gasps for air above him.

"It's- it's right there, Cas, I can see it. You're doin' great."

At the end of the push, Cas' breath comes out as a harsh, pained sound. "I can't- Dean, I can't-!"

"Yes you can. You already are." Dean puts a hand on the angel's calf. Of all the things he's done over the years as a Hunter, he never expected that 'midwife to an angel' would be one of them. "The head's right there, it's gonna be over before you know it. Just keep pushing."

Cas hesitates, but his body is having none of it. A contraction works its way around his belly and he bears down automatically. The effort of it forces a scream from his throat, high and inhuman. It makes Dean's hair stand on end. And when he glances up again, the baby's head is crowning just a little more. There's the inhuman sound again, then Cas pauses to catch his breath before pushing again. The baby's not wasting any time now; it slides forward all at once and Cas' voice rises to a shriek. "Dean-!"

"I'm right here, but you gotta slow down a minute. It's goin' too fast. Don't push, just, uh...just breathe through it." Dean had been reading up on pregnancy and birth since Cas came to stay with them and it has, of course, mostly gone out the window now. There was something about tearing, but he doesn't have time to think about it because the baby's head is slipping forward again. "Cas, listen to me. **Don't. Push**. You're gonna tear."

"I'm not!" Cas groans. He's panting hard and fast, and each breath seems to be easing the head out further. He screams again as the widest part of it passes. Dean reaches up without quite thinking to support it when it emerges; his heart all but stops. It's been years since he's held a baby, much less been in the same room as one, and now here he is helping this one to be born. It takes him a moment to find his words. "I've got th- the head's out, Cas." He grabs a towel with his free hand and uses it to dab at the baby's face. Cas, after taking a few gulps of air, braces his feet again and pushes. The baby turns slowly, inches forward a little- and stops. Cas gathers his strength into another loud push and it still doesn't move.

"Help...I can't-"

"No, you're doin' fine, Cas-"

"No. No, something's wrong-" Cas thumps his hand on the back of the chair. "Dean, PLEASE!"

"Alright, alright." Dean brings his other hand up to gently grasp the baby's head. "Looks like the shoulders are stuck. Push just a little bit..." he pulls carefully while Cas pushes and the baby inches forward. Cas' shriek rings in his ears. He eases one shoulder out, then the other. And then, finally, the rest of the baby slips into his hands. He swears.

"Holy shit- Cas, you did it!" Above him, the angel is still panting as though he doesn't quite realize what's happened. Each breath comes harsh and ragged and he's got the back of the chair in a white-knuckle grip. "...Cas...?" Dean says again, softly.

That seems to break the spell. Cas' knees buckle and he sinks to the floor. "Let me see her." he croaks.

'Her'? How could he have- oh. Dean glances down; it **is** a girl. He holds her up as Cas turns around. The angel gathers her into his arms, and the way he looks at her is like nothing Dean has ever seen. Like she's the most precious thing in the world. "Oh, look at you...." she startles violently in his arms but barely cries, just whimpers a little. "Shh. I've got you." Cas presses a kiss to her tiny forehead, then another. His gaze meets Dean's; his eyes are red-ringed with exhaustion but so, so bright.

"That was...that was really something, Cas."

"You're telling me." the angel rasps.

"She's cute." Dean smiles at her, but she isn't really. It just seemed like the thing to say. She's bloody and her head is sort of bean-shaped and he's never seen anything so small look so mad. Almost automatically he stands up, retrieves the supplies from the table, and sits back down. First he ties off and cuts the cord- trying not to look -then gently cleans the baby with a damp towel. She protests half-heartedly. As he cleans off the blood and gunk Dean realizes that even now, she looks very different from Cas. Her hair is sort of chestnut-brown now that it's dry, and her features are much finer. He can't help wondering what her father looks like. But he doesn't ask. It doesn't matter. Instead he wraps her up in a soft, thick towel and hands her back to Cas.

"So, uh...you thought of a name yet?" he asks, to fill the silence.

The angel doesn't even look up. "Adriel." he says, as though he knew it all along. He solemnly touches one long finger to her forehead, tiny eyelids, and pouted lips. Then he kisses her nose and repeats the name. 

"He name is Adriel."

oO0Oo

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the story, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear what you thought of it!


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten several questions now about the identity of Adriel's father, so here's your answer. Hope you like it!

Dealing with the afterbirth is a very uncomfortable thing. It happens suddenly, and once again Cas is in the middle of pushing by the time Dean notices; this leaves very little time to find the container and help deliver the damn thing. It's over pretty quickly, but the whole affair is something Dean would much rather forget. He sets it aside to dispose of later.

Cas is thoroughly worn out by this point. He gets cleaned up, with a little assistance from Dean, but that's about all he has energy for. He slumps back against the chair as soon as it's done. Dean, meanwhile, gathers the supplies together and washes up with the bowl of water. His hands look like a murder scene.

Eventually he crouches down next to Cas and the baby, quietly looking on for a moment before he taps Cas on the shoulder. "Hey." Cas' eyes are a little unfocused when he looks up. "Let's get you someplace comfortable. You okay with walking to the bedroom?"

Cas thinks for a few seconds. "I'm...I'm not sure."

"Well, let's give it a try. See how you do. Here-" Dean carefully hooks his hand under Cas' free arm and lifts. Cas braces himself against the back of the chair and starts to straighten his legs. It doesn't work. They give out after a few seconds, and he slides unceremoniously back to the floor. He winces; Adriel starts to cry.

"I'm sorry..."

"Nope, 's alright." Dean straightens up. "I'll be right back, okay? Got an idea." he hurries across the tile floor and slips out the door. The main room is brighter than the rest of the Bunker, so it takes him a moment to adjust. Once he does, he heads straight for the bedrooms. Sam is in his; he runs to the door when Dean goes by, and calls his name.

"What's going on? Did it happen?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it did." Dean finds himself grinning.

Sam does the same. "And??"

"It's a girl. Adriel. She's awesome, Sammy, you gotta come meet her."

At first, Sam seems to leap at the idea. Then he stops. "I don't think Cas would want an audience right now...I'll meet her tomorrow."

"Fair enough." Dean shrugs. Sam disappears, and he moves on.

In his room, he goes straight for the bed and strips it down to the mattress. Quilt, sheets, fitted sheet, everything. He bundles them up and stuffs them all under one arm. Then he hunts around the room for all the pillows he can find. It's not many, only four, but it'll do. The pillows get the same treatment as the blankets, and he races back to the main room.

-

"...okay. Comfortable?"

Cas relaxes gingerly into the makeshift bed. He's so exhausted he could probably sleep on concrete, but he smiles all the same. "Yes. Thank you, Dean."

"Alright. Need anything else?"

Cas pauses. He opens his mouth, but no words come out, so instead he moves over to make a space for Dean. Dean smiles. "That I can do." he plunks himself down on the blankets with a sigh. They've been awake for...god, he doesn't want to know how long. And he has no right to be tired, really. He looks over at Cas; the angel is gazing down at his daughter with nothing short of adoration. She's staring back with something close to indignance. "You did good, Cas."

The angel startles as though he forgot Dean was there. He probably did. "So did you."

"Are you kidding? You did the real work. All I did was catch her." 

"Still..." Cas lets the words trail into silence. Another rainstorm has blown in; it patters on the roof above them. Without taking his eyes off his daughter, he lets his head loll sideways onto Dean's shoulder. There's always been sort of an unspoken rule between them about things like that, but damn the rules just this once. Dean doesn't speak for several minutes. Once he does, his voice is rough.

"Can, uh..." he coughs. "can I...ask you a question, Cas...?" Cas hums his consent against his shoulder. "...who was he?"

He can feel Cas' frown. "Whom?"

"Adriel's dad. I mean, was he a Hunter? Someone we know, just some guy?" he makes a vague scattering gesture. Cas is silent; Adriel gurgles and waves a tiny hand. The silence is frosty all of a sudden.

"He is...someone we both know." says Cas slowly.

That doesn't really narrow it down at all. "Is he a Hunter?"

"Yes."

Okay, that's still almost twenty people. "Can you be any more specific?"

"We work with him often."

Dean has the distinct feeling that he's being led on. "How often?"

"Nearly every Hunt."

Well that doesn't leave many people, unless you count- "Oh, geez. Sammy??" he really does not need that mental image, thank you.

"No! No." Cas shudders a little, evidently just as weirded out by the thought as Dean. "Your brother is a good friend, and an excellent Hunter, but...no."

Good. That is NOT a talk he would want to have with Sam. "So who is it?"

Cas sighs. "April 23rd of last year. Springville, Tennesee."

"...What?"

Now Cas lifts his head and fixes Dean with a chilly stare. "We had gotten word of a nest of vampires in the area; Sam left the motel to scout out their location." he recites the details as if from a list. Dean squints at him. What is he talking about? He tries to think back, but can't remember-

-Wait. He does remember. Snippets flash by - Skin-on-skin, movement, breath, taste, Cas. It was one of only a handful of times that he and Cas ever-

Oh.

OH.

Holy shit. Dean swallows hard; suddenly his mouth is very dry. "Cas, are you saying what I think you're-?"

"Yes."

"I'm-"

"Yes, Dean." Cas looks at him, impassive as only an angel can be. "Close your mouth. You're staring."

He does so with a 'click'. His gaze moves from Cas, down to the baby. Adriel. His daughter. THEIR daughter. Suddenly he's angry. "Cas, why didn't you tell me??"

"I knew that if I did, you would feel obligated to protect me and the baby." Cas is still totally calm, or maybe he's just too tired to be mad. "Your job is too important for such a distraction."

"Like hell! This, you and Adriel, is way more important. I mean, if I'd've known-"

"You would have abandoned one of the largest and most difficult Hunts you and Sam have ever done?"

"Exactly. There's plenty of other Hunters, all over the country. Someone would've taken care of it."

"You are missing the point."

"So are you. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide stuff from me. Especially not stuff like this." Cas fusses with Adriel's blanket to avoid talking. "I mean it, Cas."

"I know you do." the angel's tone suggests that this is all he's willing to say about it, and Dean knows better than to pry. They'll have time to talk later.

"Alright." he says instead. His own exhaustion is starting to get the better of him. He stands up with a creaking of knees. "I get it. You two get some sleep; me or Sam will come and check on you in a bit. Yell if you need anything."

"I will." suddenly Cas reaches out and grabs the hem of Dean's shirt. Dean turns around; the angel's smile is unexpectedly warm, and it speaks volumes. "Thank you, Dean."

He smiles back, a little lopsided. "No problem."

There are rustlings and mutterings behind him as Cas and Adriel settle down. He takes his time leaving the room. It's almost 2:00 in the afternoon, and although his body is telling him otherwise, it feels like no time at all has passed. The oak door is heavy against his shoulder. He pushes it open, slips through, and then sags against it on the other side. A shaky laugh escapes him, more a huff of air than anything. That's his daughter in there. He's a dad. In one night, he went from friend to midwife to parent. He's been thrown into the deep end - and he couldn't be happier.

This changes everything.

ooOO00OOoo


End file.
